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Interactive Tool: Which Health Screenings Do You Need?

What does this tool help you learn?

This
tool is for adults age 21 and older who are not pregnant. It asks you questions about your health and your
health history. Then it creates a list of screening tests you may need. You can print the list and take it with you when you visit your doctor.

The tool uses the current recommendations of the
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). USPSTF
recommendations are sometimes different from those of other professional
organizations, such as the American Cancer Society or the American College of
Physicians. Always talk with your doctor to decide which screening tests are
best for you and how often you may need them.

Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (2012). Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2012: Recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (AHRQ Publication No. 12-05154). Rockville, MD: Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality. Also available online:
http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/guidelines-recommendations/guide/index.html.

What do the results tell you?

You will receive a list
of the screening tests recommended by the USPSTF as well as other screenings to
consider.

Screening for a disease means having a test to find out if
you have a disease when symptoms first appear or even before they appear. Screening is important, because the sooner your doctor diagnoses a disease, the
more likely it can be cured or managed. Managing a disease, especially when you
first get it, may reduce its impact on your life or prevent or delay serious
problems.

What's next?

Print a copy of the recommended
screening tests. Take the list with you when you visit your doctor. Talk to
your doctor about which screenings you may need. Your doctor may change the
list based on your special needs. He or she will explain what is involved in
each screening test and answer any questions you may have.

You may
not have to go to your doctor's office for some screening tests. You may be
able to do some tests at a health fair, your local pharmacy, or even at
home.

Related Information

References

Other Works Consulted

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2012). Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2012: Recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (AHRQ Publication No. 12-05154). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Also available online: http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/guidelines-recommendations/guide.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.